Apparatus, system, and method for filling of rod-shaped articles in packaging

ABSTRACT

An apparatus, system, and method which may facilitate the placing of rod-like articles, such as cigarettes, into waiting packaging, including a space into which articles may be inserted, this space described by a base and a plurality of side walls. A sheet of deformable material may then be secured to the apparatus, such as by vacuum force provided via vacuum openings located in the side walls, to further bound the space and provide support for the articles contained therein while the apparatus is transported or reoriented during the packaging method.

BACKGROUND

The production of smokers' goods in the tobacco industry generally requires the manufacture of various rod-shaped articles. Such rod-shaped articles may be filtered or filter-less cigarettes, cigarette filter portions, cigarillos, cigars, and other, similar articles. The cigarette production process often involves first manufacturing the rod-shaped articles, combining them with other rod-shaped articles if necessary (for example a cigarette portion and a filter portion), and then processing the rod-shaped articles and packaging them.

One popular method of packaging cigarettes is the use of shoulder boxes. These boxes are normally made from stiff cardboard and feature a hinged lid connected to the box. Cigarettes typically lie flat therein, usually in two layers one above the other. Packing loose cigarettes in such a container, especially at high speeds, presents a unique set of problems.

Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,325,382. However, this reference suffers from disadvantages such as speed limitations and article orientation errors as the result of articles falling improperly into the waiting packaging. As a result, the process may require additional steps to complete the packaging of the articles before the box can be closed and sealed.

Thus, the disclosure described herein resolves such limitations and establishes an overall improvement over gravity-fed packaging systems for rod-shaped articles.

SUMMARY

In one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus which may facilitate the placing of rod-like articles, such as cigarettes, into waiting packaging, which includes a space in which articles may be inserted, this space described by a base, a plurality of side walls, and a sheet of deformable material which is secured to the apparatus such as by vacuum force provided via vacuum openings located in the side walls.

In another exemplary embodiment, a method by which rod-like articles, such as cigarettes, may be placed into a packaging element, which includes placing said articles into the space of an apparatus, placing a sheet of deformable material or a packaging element in such a way to form an additional boundary to this space, securing this deformable sheet to the apparatus, such as by vacuum force, reorienting the apparatus such that the articles are supported by this deformable sheet, and placing the articles and/or the deformable sheet into a waiting packaging element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary embodiment of a machine configured to facilitate the placement of rod-shaped articles into a packaging element

FIG. 2A is a view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for filling rod-shaped articles into a packaging element.

FIG. 2B is a view of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for filling rod-shaped articles into packaging showing a possible placement of the sheet of deformable material

FIG. 3A is a view of another exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for filling rod-shaped articles into packaging utilizing a means for discharging articles from the apparatus.

FIG. 3B is a cross sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for filling rod-shaped articles into packaging utilizing a means for discharging articles from the apparatus along line A-A.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram of a method by which rod-shaped articles may be placed in waiting packaging.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.

As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

Throughout the current description of the invention commonly accepted terms may be utilized. For example, “vacuum” may be understood as the application of differences in air pressure to apply forces to objects, including, but not limited to, partial vacuums and complete vacuums.

Turning to FIG. 1, there is provided an exemplary embodiment of an assembly line 100 configured to fill rod-shaped articles into a packaging element. A conveyor system 161, for example, may be coupled to the apparatus 200 and thus may move the apparatus 200, may position the apparatus 200 with in relation to other systems that may act upon it, and may manipulate the apparatus's 200 orientation in space. A vane-based feeding system 111, for example, may be coupled with a push rod 112 in order to place rod-shaped articles into the apparatus 200. A vacuum transport belt 121, for example, may be used to position a sheet of deformable material 240 in relation to the apparatus 200 such that, in one possible embodiment, a folding ram 131 may be used to push the sheet of deformable material 240 against the apparatus. In doing so, the pushing ram 122 may also thus fold the sheet of deformable material 240 about one or more edge of the apparatus 240. The assembly line may also include a detection element, such as a camera 152, configured to evaluate the resulting placement of a sheet of deformable material 240 on or about the apparatus 200. The assembly line may also include one or more discharge stations 151, at which stations the rod-shaped articles and/or the sheet of deformable material 240 may be discharged from the apparatus 200. A discharge station 151 may be configured to, in one possible embodiment, discharge the rod-shaped articles and/or the sheet of deformable material 240 into a waiting packaging element, or in another possible embodiment, discharge the same from the assembly line, such as when an undesirable configuration of articles or sheet 240 is detected.

Turning now to FIG. 2A, there is provided an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 200 for the filling of rod-shaped articles, such as cigarettes, into packaging. The apparatus may include a bottom part 201, a plurality of side walls 210, and a cavity described by the same in which rod-like articles may be placed. A plurality of vacuum openings may be located on the exterior side 230 of a given side wall 210 and/or on the top end 231 of a given side wall 210. These vacuum openings may be in fluid connection with a vacuum source 202.

Turning now to FIG. 2B, there is provided a further exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 200 for the filling of rod-shaped articles into packaging which may include a sheet of deformable material 240 which may be placed with or folded about the apparatus 200. This deformable sheet 240 may additionally be secured to the apparatus 200, such as, in one possible embodiment, through vacuum suction provided by the vacuum source 202 through the plurality of vacuum openings 230.

Turning now to FIGS. 3A-3B, there is provided a further exemplary embodiment of an apparatus 200 for the filling of rod-shaped articles into packaging which may include a means for discharging articles contained within the apparatus 200 and/or a deformable sheet 240 from the apparatus. In one possible embodiment, the bottom part 201 may consist of both a stationary portion 351 and a movable surface 352. This movable surface 352 may be actuated, such as by a plunger-type actuator 350, in order to exert a force upon the articles contained within the apparatus 200 and/or the sheet of deformable material 240 such as to discharge the same from the apparatus 200.

Turning to FIG. 4, there is provided an exemplary embodiment of a method 400 for the filling of rod-shaped articles, such as cigarettes, into packaging. The method may include placing 410 rod-shaped articles into an apparatus 200, positioning 420 a sheet of deformable material 240 with the apparatus 200 and above the bottom part 201, folding 430 the sheet of deformable material 240 about one or more edges of the apparatus 200, securing 440 the sheet of deformable material 240 to the apparatus, reorienting 460 the apparatus 200 such that the articles contained therein are supported by the sheet of deformable material 240, and discharging 450 the rod-shaped articles contained within the apparatus 200 and/or the sheet of deformable material 240 from the apparatus 200 such as to place the same within a packaging element or such as to remove the same from the system.

The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art (for example, features associated with certain configurations of the invention may instead be associated with any other configurations of the invention, as desired).

Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for filling of rod-shaped articles in packaging comprising: a bottom member, a plurality of side walls having a top end and a bottom end and defining a cavity therein, the top end or bottom end pivotally connected to the bottom member, the side walls having an interior side and an exterior side, a plurality of vacuum openings, which are connectable to a vacuum source and located at the top end and/or exterior side of one or more of the side walls, a sheet of deformable material located above the bottom part and secured by the plurality of vacuum openings.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom member is comprised of a stationary part and a means for discharging articles contained in the space from the apparatus.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the means for discharging is a movable surface which can be actuated such to exert force upon articles contained within the space.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sheet of deformable material may be discharged from the apparatus in addition to articles contained in the space.
 5. A method for filling of rod-shaped articles in packaging comprising: placing at least one rod-shaped article into a tray of a carrier apparatus; placing a sheet of deformable material over the tray of the carrier apparatus; securing the sheet of deformable material to the carrier apparatus; reorienting the carrier apparatus such that the articles contained therein are supported by the sheet of deformable material; depositing the contents of the carrier apparatus and the sheet of deformable material into a packaging element.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of securing the sheet of deformable material comprises applying vacuum suction.
 7. The method of claim 5 further comprising a step of folding the sheet of deformable material about at least one edge of the carrier apparatus.
 8. The method of claim 5 wherein the carrier apparatus pushes the articles contained in the tray into the packaging element. 